Featuring 11 Student Groups and Headliner Ekep Nkwelle on November 1st and 2nd

The Vermont Jazz Center (VJC) is thrilled to present the 7th Annual Emerging Artist Festival, a two-day event celebrating the impact of youth on jazz. Taking place on November 1st and 2nd, the festival will showcase 11 student groups and feature a headlining performance by dynamic jazz vocalist Ekep Nkwelle.

Audiences are invited to enjoy the excitement and energy of young musicians performing on Friday and Saturday, with Nkwelle’s concert serving as the highlight of the weekend. The festival offers a unique chance to support the next generation of jazz while experiencing a performance by one of today’s most promising rising stars.

About Ekep Nkwelle

Ekep Nkwelle, a 24-year-old Cameroonian-American jazz vocalist, has made her mark in the jazz world, from the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, to the heart of New York City’s jazz scene. A graduate of Juilliard’s jazz program, Nkwelle has performed with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra and appeared at iconic venues including Radio City Music Hall, The Kennedy Center, and Lincoln Center.

Nkwelle’s powerful voice has graced stages at top jazz festivals like Newport and Montclair, performing alongside jazz greats such as Russell Malone, Emmet Cohen, and Cyrus Chestnut. Her recent accolades include a Juilliard Career Advancement Grant and a performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk.” Handpicked by Dee Dee Bridgewater for her all-women residency, Nkwelle is a rising star poised to influence the future of jazz.

Festival Schedule

The festival kicks off on Friday, November 1st, at the 118 Elliot Gallery with student jazz ensembles, and continues on Saturday, November 2nd, at the Vermont Jazz Center. The performances are open to the public by donation, with free entry for youth attendees.

Friday, November 1

5:15 PM – Keene State College
6:00 PM – Northfield Mt. Hermon Honors Ensemble
6:45 PM – VJC Young Lions Trio
7:30 PM – PVPA Jazz, Pop + R&B Ensemble

Saturday, November 2

11:00 AM – UMass Jazz Ensemble 1
11:45 AM – UMass Jazz Ensemble 2
12:30 PM – Northfield Mt. Hermon Jazz Trio
1:15 PM – Amherst College Hypatia Ensemble
1:45 PM – VJC Youth Jazz Ensemble
2:30 PM – BUHS Madrigals (Jazz Vocal Group)
3:15 PM – BUHS Instrumental Jazz Band
4:00 PM – Clinic with Ekep Nkwelle
7:30 PM – Concert with Ekep Nkwelle

Masterclass and Concert

On Saturday, Ekep Nkwelle will lead a masterclass with her quartet at 4:00 PM, offering insights into how a jazz quartet functions with a vocalist at the helm. The clinic will explore the power of listening and interaction among musicians, and young performers from the festival may also participate.

Later that evening, Nkwelle will take the stage with her quartet, featuring Luther Allison on piano, Liany Mateo on bass, and Anwar Marshall on drums. The concert promises to be an unforgettable experience, with general admission tickets priced on a sliding scale from $25 to $60, and free admission for participating students.

Livestream and Ticket Information

For those unable to attend in person, Nkwelle’s concert will be livestreamed, with donations encouraged to support the Vermont Jazz Center’s mission of providing world-class music and education. Tickets are available online at www.vtjazz.org or by calling the VJC ticket line at 802-254-9088. Handicapped access is available by request.

Special Thanks

The Vermont Jazz Center extends its gratitude to sponsors Julian Gerstin and Carlene Raper for their continued support of the festival and the VJC community.

About Vermont Jazz Center – VJC

The Jazz Center is the leading jazz venue in New England.  Its emphasis is threefold:

1. presenting world-class jazz concerts,
2. providing abundant educational opportunities and
3. community outreach.

All three of these areas focus on enhancing the quality of life and culture in rural Vermont.

The Jazz Center takes pride in the high level of artistry found in their performance series. Musicians who perform regularly at the Village Vanguard, Dizzy’s at Jazz at Lincoln Center and the Kennedy Center can also be found on the VJC’s schedule. In 2014, the VJC received a Chamber Music America Acclaim Award that recognizes “extraordinary cultural contributions in a locality or region.” Musician’s/Ensembles who have performed here include NEA award winners Sheila Jordan, Kenny Barron, Dave Liebman, Dr. Lonnie Smith and Jimmy Heath. Other noteworthy performers include Jazzmeia Horn, Snarky Puppy, Helen Sung, Pedrito Martinez and Alredo Rodriguez, Fred Hersch and many others.

Educational opportunities are generously subsidized. In FY 2019, the VJC offered over 30K in scholarship assistance. Offerings include afternoon ensembles such as Youth Jazz, bebop, guitar, vocal, and Latin Jazz and Samba groups. There are also two choruses and an in-house big band affiliated with the VJC. There is also a renowned summer jazz workshop run by the VJC held at the Putney School since 1975 where 90 multigenerational students study with world-class instructors/presenters (including Sheila Jordan and Jay Clayton, Helen Sung, Francisco Mela, Cameron Brown, Jason Palmer, Camille Thurman and others).

Community Outreach includes sharing musical resources with area schools, prisons, assisted living homes and area businesses. The VJC has an outreach Sextet that performs these duties, but board members and staff are also directly involved, especially with the local schools.

The history of the Vermont Jazz Center reaches back to the early 1970s, when the late founding director and jazz guitarist Attila Zoller would invite numerous musicians from New York City to unwind and create at his home in Newfane, Vermont. Renowned jazz artists such as George Mraz, Sir Roland Hanna, Ron Carter, Lee Konitz, Don Friedman, Jimmy Raney, and Gene Rush grew to appreciate the beauty and tranquility of southeastern Vermont. From these beginnings grew the renowned summer workshop series, which evolved into the Vermont Jazz Center.

In 1997 Zoller passed the torch to pianist Eugene Uman who, together with his wife Elsa Borrero and Board President Howard Brofsky, developed the Jazz Center into a year round program that hosts monthly concerts featuring some of the world’s most innovative jazz musicians. Thanks to Borrero’s financial and production skills, Brofsky’s wisdom, Zoller’s tremendous contacts, the help of generous supporters, a deeply committed Board of Directors, and numerous friends and volunteers, the Jazz Center evolved to manifest Uman’s vision of providing a nurturing environment where concerts, workshops, weekly jam sessions, classes in jazz history, ensembles and private lessons are held. In 1997, the VJC was incorporated as a 501c3 non-profit.

Today, the Vermont Jazz Center continues to grow under the team of Uman and Borrero. The VJC’s Board of Directors are actively involved as invaluable working volunteers for the organization, providing assistance in financial services, communications, grant-writing, graphics, concert production and other collaborations. The VJC is also reliant on the support of generous donors and a strong grassroots community of musicians and jazz lovers who volunteer at many levels.

The Vermont Jazz Center is located in Brattleboro’s Cotton Mill Hill Complex; the site includes two offices, a 250-seat performance hall and an archive/library. The loft-style space is reminiscent of New York’s SoHo district; it claims superb acoustics and is equipped with state of the art gear, including a Steinway D concert grand, a Canopus drum set and professional lighting and sound gear.